This year June 21st marks the National Thank a Teacher Day. This is an event which gives the opportunity for pupils, parents and fellow staff to share their gratitude to individuals or collectives of teachers and thank them for the support over the years.

We have all have that story of that one teacher who inspired you to achieve all that you could achieve. Whether that was the subject they taught or just the values and ambition they installed thin you. Be they school teachers or from external clubs, the role of a teacher in life is an extremely rewarding, yet understandably difficult vocation.

This year we would like to encourage you to reach out to all of your educators; teachers, learning support assistants and other support staff who have given you the support that enables you to succeed.

You can send a thank-you card to your teacher, win some fantastic prizes for your school and enter some amazing competitions for yourself.

To find out more follow this link here: https://thankateacher.co.uk/national-thank-a-teacher-day-parentsandpupils/

This week (7th June) a group of Year 9 and 10 pupils were able to visit Symphony Hall Birmingham to watch the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra perform a programme of Holst, Beethoven and Rachmaninov. It was the first time that all the students had ever attended a classical concert and they all enjoyed the experience. Following the performance the group were eager to know what they could see next before leaving the auditorium! We've also had a lovely message from one of the Trustees of the CBSO, Chris Loughran who said it was great to see so many young people in the audience.

An important part of our curriculum is to give our pupils varied opportunities and the chance to explore all walks of life. So far this year our pupils have had a chance to showcase in concerts, lead award ceremonies and even perform with award winning artists. We are incredibly proud of our music pupils and cannot wait for their next performance as part of the Create Gala this term

As part of our provision at Etone College we have a broad and balanced curriculum that involves giving pupils the chance to experience the full wonders of the world. Whilst the classroom is an important arena for learning we are passionate about our pupils getting to explore the world first hand and as part of this have a full program of trips and visits to support our pupils.

This week our year 7 Geographers were taken to Twycross Zoo on the first Monday back after half term. 

The theme of the day was Biodiversity and to that end they had the opportunity to undertake a biodiversity workshop, guided tour from a zoologist and supervised exploration of key animal enclosures. 

Not only did pupils get the chance to experience the regular zoo but the access backstage gave them an opportunity to get up close to the animals in a way that would not have been possible usually. With some of the most beautiful butterflies and an extremely old tortoise to the gigantic giraffes and rhinos there was something to interest all.

From a geographical perspective, the trip emphasised the importance of conservation and the protection of critically endangered species and considering our termly value of ‘Being Supportive’ it was a great opportunity for our pupils to consider how we can support our environment and do our bit to help.

As always, our pupils were complimented on how well they behaved and continued to build a strong name for Etone College. Well done to all.

At Etone College we are always proud to share the successes of our pupils. Over the half term we were delighted to hear of the triumph Josh R had in tennis. After playing in national tournaments across the country most recently he has won the 18’s and under putting him amongst the best players in the country. In fact in his age group he is closing in on the top 100 players in his age group across Great Britain, very impressive indeed with thoughts turning to a long term career in tennis and tennis coaching.

Conversations have already been with had with the LTA for Josh to be on the LTA Coaching Pathway. Only the best juniors are asked to be part of this coaching pathway. With an invite already in the mail to discuss a career in coaching and how he can be fast tracked, this is news that will surely make Mrs Barlow and the careers team happy. During the day he will have the opportunity to watch the International Tennis Tournament in Nottingham and meet some of the players and coaches. 

He has spent the past year coaching younger players and really enjoying it which shows a full range of our Employability Skills and Etone Values. He has also been asked to be vice captain of the Leicestershire Boys Under 11s team in the County Championships at the end of June, which is really looking forward to working to. Again, a fantastic achievement to be asked at his age to look after the team.

As always a big well done to Josh and to all our pupils in their extra curricular events!

During the last week of term five of our distinguished cadets joined St Paul’s School for Girls and Birmingham Air Training Corps Cadets for their annual summer camp. Etone College has been proud to host their cadet troop for the past 5 years with each academic year bringing more cadets and enriching opportunities. The Combined Cadet Force is a youth organisation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence and through the Cadet Expansion Programme provides opportunities for Cadet Force training to nearly 500 schools and colleges. With over 43,000 cadets currently on the programme there is a wide variety of pupils that our cadet’s get the chance to interact with.

The camp started with our contingent travelling to the National Air Cadet Training Centre at Fairbourne where they had the opportunity to explore the first class training facilities.

After settling in our cadets visit Bounce Below at Zip World, performing acrobatics in a setting like no other, a trampoline park inside a massive slate cavern. Following this highlights of the camp included swim tests and bike-ability assessments, which all of our cadets passed and building rafts before the teams raced across Bala Lake. Whilst some rafts floated others drifted apart before the finish line. 

Another big event came in the middle of the week sailing session. With cadets pairing up, one person took the sail and the other controlled the rudder. Everyone took to it very well and sailed far and wide across Bala Lake channelling their inner Ben Ainslie. 

Finally with a visit to Coed Y Brenin Mountain Bike Centre got the chance to put their new bike skills to the test by riding blue and green routes as well as rock climbing.

Outside of the activities our cadets also took part in the usual activities including inspections, parade drills problem-solving tasks. The week was both fantastic and challenging for our cadets who have grown in confidence and leadership qualities as they maintained the welfare of their fellow peers throughout the week. 

If you would like to find out more about our Cadet Troop check them out here: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/ccf/

As you know at Etone College we value education beyond anything else. Every pupil has the right to a high quality education that enables progress for all. As part of that the message and ethos we continue to share with pupils is the importance of attendance. When you consider the impact that poor attendance can have on a pupils learning it’s easy to see why being present each day is important. However, at Etone we go beyond this to install a real love of learning and intrinsic value that pupils themselves relate to their own learning.

On the final week of term 22^nd May – 26^th May our pupils took part in our ‘Attendance May-tters’ challenge to ensure their form achieved the highest attendance in their year group. Across the week the message of attendance was shared by Heads of House in assembly as they all had their sights set on the Attendance Trophy awarded at the end of term. For Centaur, currently in 4^th place they had a mini mountain to climb to overturn the lead that Dragon, Griffin and Phoenix have on them. With Phoenix still ruling the roost the aim was to increase their lead against an increasing Griffin, with Dragon hoping to leapfrog in the battle for first place.

As the penultimate challenge for attendance, our pupils played their role by attending each day and adding to the ‘jigsaw puzzle’ which is their attendance. Across the week our pupils attended 3% more than the final week of Summer 1 Half Term last year. This is really important as attending each day helps relieve stress of missing important information, access the full curriculum offering and develop Employability skills that will help pupils across their lives.

Overall, the week was a red win as Phoenix sweep the board with the highest attendance for each year (7-11) achieved by a Phoenix form. An amazing result for Mr Baggot who extends his lead on the overall competition and steers the House to their third consecutive attendance trophy – Can any of the Houses rally in the final Half Term? 

All of our winners will revive

National Mental Health Awareness Week which takes place between Monday 15th May and Sunday 21st May. This year the Mental Health Foundation have chosen anxiety as the Mental Health Awareness Week theme to kickstart a nationwide conversation, encouraging people to share their own experiences and any helpful ideas on how they manage anxiety.

As a school, to recognise Mental Health Awareness Week, pupils will be finding out about how to keep themselves mentally healthy during assemblies and form time in the week commencing 22nd May. We are also asking pupils to accessorise their uniform with something green in support of the week – pupils will be advised about what accessories are acceptable during form time. Pupils will also have the opportunity to attend a wellbeing drop in session on Monday 22nd May – Brew Monday – where they can join their peers and staff for a hot drink and a chat. Connecting with others is a very important part of our wellbeing. Pupils will be given time each day during form time to reflect on our Etone top tips for maintaining good mental health.

To support with the top tips, each pupil will have a booklet which has been designed by Mind to help pupils with learning about these top tips and how to use them effectively. There will be mindful and self-affirmation colouring available in the café during lunch times and Wellbeing Ambassadors will be handing out ‘top tip’ stickers to help open up the conversation around mental health.

In addition to this, there is an exciting art project for pupils to contribute to which is being organised by Ms Byrne. We will also be raising money for Mind, the Mental Health Charity. Members of Leadership will be collecting any contributions each morning in sealed buckets on the gate – we would be really grateful of any support that you can offer in terms of a contribution.

The money raised will support Mind to make sure nobody has to face a mental health problem alone. People need their support more than ever, and demand for their services is growing. Staff will also be making contributions and wearing green ribbons in support. We would be grateful if you would speak with your child about Mental Health Awareness Week and encourage your child to get involved as much as possible next week.

As a group of staff, we will be doing so and you can follow what we get up to on our Twitter next week and our website next week. You will also find a link to a parent workshop that gives helpful advice on how to support wellbeing. The Mental Health Foundation have looked at the evidence for what works to manage anxiety and brought together their top recommendations. A wealth of additional support materials for pupils and parents/carers alike, can be found on our website.

As you know at Etone College we value education beyond anything else. Every pupil has the right to a high quality education that enables progress for all. As part of that the message and ethos we continue to share with pupils is the importance of attendance. When you consider the impact that poor attendance can have on a pupils learning it’s easy to see why being present each day is important. However, at Etone we go beyond this to install a real love of learning and intrinsic value that pupils themselves relate to their own learning.

Whilst we are proud of the value our pupils hold, we also like to reward them with our attendance challenges. Monday 22^nd May brings the our next attendance challenge – Attendance May-tters. During the final week of term the challenge is for each form to achieve the highest average attendance across the school. So it is incredibly important in the build up to half term to make sure you are attending and brining glory upon your House. With Mr Baggot in first place with Phoenix; Griff, Dragon and Centaur really need to apply the pressure to turn the game around. 

The highest attending form in each year will receive a special reward and all pupils in those forms will be entered into a prize draw for an additional reward. 

Just a reminder that for all of our attendance and punctuality materials check out this link: https://www.etonecollege.co.uk/attendance/